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Brooklyn caseworker, three others accused in theft of over 100 emergency HRA checks

October 25, 2013 Kings County District Attorney's Office
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Kings County District Attorney Charles J. Hynes, New York City Department of Investigation (DOI) Commissioner Rose Gill Hearn, and New York City Human Resources Administration (HRA) Commissioner Robert Doar on Friday announced the arrests of an HRA caseworker and three accomplices who schemed to steal 123 Emergency Assistance checks worth nearly $90,000 from HRA.  

Defendants Elizabeth Valentine, 41, James Whittaker, 43, James Baines, 44 and Howard Green, 47, were arrested last week. Defendants Valentine, Whittaker and Green were arraigned Friday and released on their own recognizance. Defendant Baines is awaiting arraignment.

DA Hynes said, “The main defendant in this case abused her position as a social services caseworker to steal public funds intended to prevent qualified, low-income New Yorkers from being evicted from their homes.  We are committed, along with our partners at DOI and HRA, to uncover and hold accountable government workers such as defendant Valentine, who defraud those in need and, in doing so, ultimately defraud the public’s trust. I thank DOI and HRA for bringing this case to our attention and for their cooperation in conducting an investigation into the defendants’ crimes.”

Valentine worked as a Job Opportunity Specialist at Human Resources Center 66 in Brooklyn, helping applicants obtain public assistance benefits such as emergency funds to pay rent to landlords or other housing expenses. Applicants must provide proof of their eligibility by submitting documentation proving their income, lease, landlord and the amount of money needed. Part of the defendant’s job was to enter this information into HRA’s computer system.

Between Aug. 4, 2010 and Dec. 4, 2011, Valentine allegedly processed requests for emergency cash assistance for rental arrears and housing expenses using names of existing clients to generate checks for her co-defendants as if they were the landlords of HRA clients.  The cases that she used included those of homeless individuals, prior HRA clients with inactive cases and current HRA clients, all of whom had previously applied for s benefits at Center 66.  

A total of 129 emergency checks were issued, at defendant Valentine’s request, to Whittaker, Baines and Green, even though they were not landlords and did not own the properties identified by Valentine in her requests. Valentine has described Whittaker as her boyfriend; Baines and Green are friends of Whittaker.  

Of the 129 checks issued by Valentine, 123 of those checks, totaling $89,409, were cashed or deposited, according to the complaint. Of those 123 checks, Baines cashed 68 checks totaling $48,414, Green cashed nine checks totaling $7,950, and Whittaker cashed 46 checks totaling $33,045. According to Green’s statement, he turned over the cash from his checks to Whittaker and in return, he received $150 for each of the nine checks.

The defendants are charged with various counts of Grand Larceny, Defrauding the Government, Falsifying Business Records, Tampering With Public Records, Official Misonduct, Grand Larceny, Criminal Possession of Stolen Property and other offenses.

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